Automatic wheel feed



Oct. 7, 1930; A. P. STEINER 4,777,938

AUTOMATI C WHEEL FEED Filed Aiug. 22, 1 928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I IINVENTOR.

flared/1770710.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 7,1930. A. P. STEINER AUTOMATIC 'WHEEL FEED FiledAug. 22, 1928 Patented Oct. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AMOS P.STEINER, OI WAYNESB ORO, PENNSYLVANIA, ASBIGNOB TO LANDIB TOOL COM-PANY, O1 WAYNEBBOBO, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 01' PENNSYLVANIAAUTOMATIC WHEEL FEED Application filed August 22, 1828. Serial No.301,887.

This invention relates to devices for automatically feeding a workingrotary tool toward the work, and more particularly to devices forfeeding the grinding Wheel of a grindin machine toward the work apredetermine distance at the end of each stroke of the work carria It isan ob'ect ofihe invention to provide means where the said device may beconnected to an co-operate with the motor which 0 erates the workcarriage. r

A furt er object is to provide h draulically operated means co-operatingwit the motor for driving the work carriage and connected to themechanism for feeding the grinding wheel toward the work.

In the usual automatic wheel feed mechanism which co-operates with themovement of the work carriage there is a mechanical connection of somesort actuated by the work carria e or the reversing wheel for feedingthe grinding wheel toward the work. Such an arrangement not only takesup valuable space on the machine but is very non-flexible in operation.The improvement forming the sub]ect matter of this invention consists ofan hydraulic motor fixed to the cover of the wheel feed shaft andconnected to the traverse motor of the work carriage by means offlexible fluid connections extending directly through the wheel baseandthe bed of the machine. This provides for an operative connectionbetween the motor of the work carriage and the wheel feed which takes upvery llttle space on the machine, and wh ch rovides a most flexibleoperative connection Between the motor which operates the work carriageand the mechanism which operates the feeding of the grinding wheeltoward the work. I v

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a art hereof andon which similar reference 0 aracters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of a grinding machine with brokenaway to show the traverse mechanism and the connection between thetraverse motor and the wheel feed mechanism,

Figure 2 is a sectional front elevation taken on line 2-2, Figure 3,showing the oscillating motor .which actuates the wheel feed mechanism,v

Figure 3 is a section on 'a line 3-3 of Figure 2, and t V Figure 4 is asectional end elevation of a traverse motor showing the reversing valveand the connections to the wheel feed oscillating motor of Figure 2. r y

In the drawings numeral 10 indicates the bed of a grinding machinehaving mounted thereon a reciprocating carriage 11. The carriage 11 isreciprocated by means of a rack 12 secured therebeneath and moved bymeans of a pinion 13 driven through worm 1 and gears 15, 16 and 17 in awell known manner.

A hand wheel 18 provides manual means for" traversin the work carriage.The work carriage is riven by means of a fluid motor 19 operated bymotive fluid delivered thereto through a pipe 20. A reversing valve 21delivers motive fluid alternatively to the ports 22 and 23 to operatethe traverse motor. The valve stem 21" is rovided with spaced pistons24: and 25 of well known construction. The valve chamber 26 has ports 27and 28 to which are attached flexible fluid connections 29 and 30. Thedports 27 and 28 are positioned respectively a jacent the fluidadmission ports 22 and 23, so that when the valve stem 21 is moved toadmit fluid through the ort 22 to one side of the traverse motor 19 uidwill at the same time be delivered to the fluid connection 29' and whenthe valve has been shifted to admit fluid to the port 23 fluid willlikewise be admitted to the fluid conduit 30. Obviously, when the fluidort 22 is open to the exhaust the fluid condu1t 29 will likewise be opento the exhaust. An operating lever 31 of the reversing valve ispivotally mounted mined amount.

at 32 upon the base of the machine. This lever has an arm 33 operativelyconnected to the upper end of the valve stem 21 for operating the valve.A lug 34 on the side of the handle lever 31 is engaged by dogs 35 and 36at each reciprocation of the carnage. These dogs are adjustable alongthe carriage in a well known manner. The grinding wheel 37 is fed towardthe work by means of a hand wheel 38 when manually operated. Thismechanism will be described only in so far as is necessary for a fullunderstanding of the subject matter of the instant application. Thewheel 38 is mounted upon a shaft 39. This shaft also carries a ratchetwheel 40. An arm 41 secured upon a sleeve 42 has a dog 43 pivotallysecured upon its outer end at 44. The hub 42 has a segmental gear 45 forengagement with a corresponding segmental gear 46 on a bell crank lever47. This latter lever is pivotally mounted at 48 on a portion of therinding wheel frame. The bell crank lever 47 has on its outer end aroller 49 which is engageable by a cam. This cam comprises a disk 51eccentrically mounted upon the outer end of a shaft 52. The shaft 52 isan extension of the shaft of an oscillating motor 53. This motorconsists of a casing 54 in which is mounted a motor comprising the shaft52 and a vane 54. An abutment member 55 is held in engagement with theperiphery of the shaft 52 by means of a leaf spring 56 positioned in arecess in a dividing segment 57. The motor casing is provided with ports58 and 59 to which are connected respectively the fluid conduits 29 and30. The operation of the device is as follows:

Assumin the valve21 to be in the position shown in igure 4, fluid underpressure will pass through the pipe 20, the port 23 to the traversemotor 19 and at the same time pass through the port 28, flexibleconnection 30, port 59 to the oscillating motor 53. Since the load onthe wheel feed motor is less than that on the traverse motor, the vane54 will be driven counter clockwise as shown in Figure 2, to oscillatethe bell crank lever 47 and the arm 34 to operate the ratchet wheel 40through a predetermined arc of rotation. The ratchet wheel 40 beingconnected to the shaft39 will drive through suitable connections themechanism for moving the grinding wheel 37 toward the work a predeter-When the work carriage has moved to the right so that the dog 35 engagesthe lever arm 31 the reversing valve stem 21' will be moved up to opencommunication between the inlet fluid pipe 20 and the port 22 of thetraverse motor, and at the same time open communication with the fluidconduit 29 and the port 58 to the left chamber of the wheel feed motoras shown in Figure 2 to drive the oscillatin% motor clockwise as shownin Figure 2. y means of the cam 51 the rock arm 47 will again beoscillated to oscillate the arm 41 and again rotate the ratchet wheel 40through the predetermined degree. This again moves the grinding wheeltoward the work a predetermine amount. As observed above, since thewheel feed motor operates more easily than the work carriage the formerwill be operated before the latter. It will be further seen that therinding wheel will be moved through a predetermined distance at each endof the traverse of the work carriage. Flexible fluid connections 29 and30 as above stated may be arranged in the base of the machine, and sincethey are flexible they may be positioned in any manner found convenientto adapt them to the peculiar construction of any type of grindingmachine.

While I have described my invention as applied to a grinding machine, itis to be understood that I do not limit its use to machines of thischaracter, as obviously it may be adapted to feed any rotary cuttingtool or other cutting tool toward the work in timed relation with amotor for reciprocating work past the working tool.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in my device without de arting from the spirit of the invention,an I, therefore, do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawingsand described in the specification, but only as set forth in theappended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a grinding machine having a grinding wheel, a traverse carriageand a fluid motor for traversing said carriage, means for feeding thegrinding wheel toward the work comprising a shaft operatively connectedto wheel feeding mechanism, a ratchet wheel on said shaft, anoscillatory shaft secured upon a sleeve, a gear segment on said sleeve,a rock arm having a gear segment engageable with the gear segment on thesleeve, a roller on the rock arm, an oscillating motor having a motorshaft extendin out of the motor casing, acam on said sha t engageablewith the said roller, and flexible fluid connections from this traversemotor to the said oscillating motor whereby said wheel will be fed tothe work upon operation of said traverse motor, substantially as setforth.

2. In a grinding machine having a grinding wheel, a traverse carriageand a fluid motor for traversing said carriage, means for feeding thegrinding wheel toward the work comprising a shaft operatively connectedto the wheel feeding mechanism, a ratchet wheel on said shaft, anoscillatory shaft secured upon a sleeve, a gear segment on said sleeve,a rock arm having a gear segment engageable with the gear segment on thesleeve, a roller on the rock arm, an oscillatory motor having a motorshaft extending out of v lating motor whereby sai the motor casing,iglageable with the said roller, and flexible uld by-pass pipes leadingfrom the ports of substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at'Waynesboro,Pennsylvania, this 16th day of August, A. D. nineteen hundred andtwenty-eight.

AMOS P. STEINER.

a cam on said shaft en-

